


Ashes to Ashes

by Poetinprogress1234



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetinprogress1234/pseuds/Poetinprogress1234
Summary: When Jade had first met Josie, she was a wayward flame. Now, as the conflagration dies down to embers, the only remnants of the person Josie used to be lies in the ashes at her feet.orJosie's transformation through Jade's eyes.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Jade & Hope Mikaelson, Jade & Lizzie Saltzman, Jade/Josie Saltzman, Jade/Wendy (Legacies), Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 3
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

Jade had noticed the fire within Josie from the moment she first laid eyes on the brunette in the prison world. Her very presence commanded attention, a magnetic force that even bloodlust and the excitement of a new face could not mask. Her stature was timid, uncertain and afraid, but her eyes held a spark that Jade couldn't ignore. The way that she had instantly recognized Jade had alarmed her, made that little tickle of what she could only describe as nostalgia burn in the back of her mind. She's pushed it down, her only thought being how easy it would be to drain Josie dry, how fitting of an end it would be for the daughter of the man she despised more than any other being in the universe. Even when Kai blind-sighted her, saved Josie from her hungry fangs and emotionless soul, she'd considered Josie a dead woman. She'd misjudged Josie, thinking smugly as she went down from Kai's blade that the girl wouldn't last more than a few hours if she was lucky. She remembered in the haze of her anger and the bittersweet smell of her blood being jealous of kai for being the one to take her down, along with the anger of the loss of a fresh meal. 

When she next saw Josie, seeing that she had somehow made it out of Kai's psychopathic grasp alive, she held a certain level of admiration for the younger girl. Even in her best moments, Jade had fallen prey to Kai's cunning and deceptive intimidation, but Josie had almost beat Kai at his own game; It must have run in their blood, Jade had thought. And even though she had a newfound respect for Josie, it had been so very satisfying watching that mischievous glimmer in Josie's eyes dim as she realized that, despite her best efforts, she had failed. Once Jade had gained control over Josie, her next steps were simple- find Alaric, with Josie in tow, and make him pay for the years of torture she had endured. She'd ignored the slight semblance of what might have been described as guilt if she was weak enough- human enough- to know what that felt like anymore. She'd blocked out Josie's scared whimpers, her shaking figure, a candle burning out in the whirlwind of Jade's vengeful plotting. And when she led Alaric away, heard Josie's heart rate skyrocket, the sound pounding in her ears, she imagined the last few flickers of light dying in Josie's soul.

The third time Jade saw Josie, she didn't see her at all. She felt her, reaching into Jade's mind and kindling something within Jade that made her almost fall to her knees in shock. As the emotions swirled in her head, and she looked down at her hands and realized what she had become, it had hurt more than any stake through her heart ever could. There was guilt- overwhelming, blinding guilt- and then there was nothing as she dropped to the floor, magic running through her veins so thick and blackened that it made Jade's entire body burn, even in sleep. And when she had awoken, it was like she was being drawn toward the hospital- not for the blood, or to watch Alaric and his daughter's suffering; But instead by the incapacitating need to pay for her sins, to do what was right. And helping Lizzie had felt right, had made Jade warm in a way that she had long forgotten about until Josie arose from the ground and that pride turned to nerve-pinching fear.

As she looked into the dark abyss of where Josie's irises used to be, bone-chilling dread ran through Jade's body like a current. Because while Josie's aura was corrupt, drenched in darkness and decay that Jade could quite literally smell on the younger girl, she was also so full of life. Josie had become an inferno- scorching hot, unbridled flames that would sear anyone that stood in Josie's way. Which was terrifying enough, but it was the calming way Josie seemed so comfortable in the hearth of it, how content she seemed, that made Jade feel weak just being witness to it. Then the dark turned into brazen light, and suddenly Jade wasn't trapped anymore. She was home, and safe, and she didn't know what would come next but she knew that she only had Josie to thank. And as she laid out the blankets and pillows that Alaric had lent to her and Wendy, she made a promise to herself that when she saw Josie again, she would thank her for giving her a second chance. 

Then, like she had heard Jade's devotions, she'd appeared; And the combustion inside her had subdued, and the Josie she preferred had returned. All of the coherent thoughts in Jade's mind had blanked, replaced with the desire- the need- to make herself heard by Josie. To ask what had happened, if Josie was alright, what the hell would happen next- but exhaustion had won out, and she settled for simply welcoming Josie- the real Josie- back home. Surprisingly, Josie had done the same, a flare of a smile gracing her lips. And it was that image that Jade kept in her mind as she drifted off into restless sleep. Then, in what felt like a flash of a second, Josie was back. With warm, concerned eyes and an unanswerable question. Was Jade okay? She didn't know, But she felt more at peace when Josie was around. A confession that Jade had to almost convince herself she'd heard correctly, that she was not dreaming and that Josie was thinking about her- couldn't stop thinking about her- just like Jade's thoughts had been clouded by Josie ever since she could openly feel again. A soft kiss- Josie tasted of tea and strawberries and, god, Jade knew she could most definitely get addicted to the feeling of Josie's lips on hers- a knowing smile, an ember of hope once Josie leaned in once again, and then Josie, but not Josie, staring back at them. Then, Jade had awoken to Wendy shouting at her to get up, annoyance in her features. When Jade arose from her makeshift bed, she had almost believed that seeing Josie was just a wistful dream; Except for the fact that Jade could still smell Josie's perfume in the air, and the taste of strawberries still lingered on her lips. 

How she'd gone from sharing a kiss with Josie to being killed by her in a magical simulation, Jade couldn't quite say. Josie, killing someone? No, that was impossible. Maybe the version of Josie she had seen in the prison world, but that wasn't Josie anymore. Or was it?; If Jade was honest with herself, she didn't truly know Josie at all. She was no longer the child Jade had a fondness for in her youth or the dark figure that the dark magic had made her into. Josie was something else entirely- a war raging inside of her psyche, rapidly oxidizing to dangerous levels. No one else could see it, but Jade knew the look well. Josie was just one misplaced move away from detonation.

So, honestly, Jade isn't shocked when it happens merely weeks later. While she doesn't see the moment Josie shatters, giving birth to an evil that has her face but not her essence, she can feel it. She hears the rumors that Josie's left the school, and part of her hopes that she doesn't return. Still, Josie does, that spark that Jade once found herself admiring verging on fulminating, an overfilling pot about to boil over and scorch them all. This makes Jade angry, because this person has the nerve to look like Josie, and sound like Josie, but she's not Josie and it angers Jade; While she doesn't know much about who Josie is anymore, she knows very well what she isn't. The person who threatens to kill anyone in her way, who siphons her sister out of the earthly plane and leaves as her friends plan Lizzie's funeral, that isn't her. Jade refuses to believe that Josie is a monster- Jade has observed monsters, had become a monster. As all of the other students label Josie as "inhumane", "brutal", "a demon ", Jade holds on desperately to the hope that Josie- the right Josie- will prove them all wrong. 

After days of silence, the absence of Josie's name apparent and worrying, Wendy tells her in hushed words that Josie is back. Hope Mikaleson (a hero, by everyone else's testimonies) has brought her back. The relief hits Jade like a tidal wave- Lizzie is alive, Josie has returned, and the terrible Necromancer has disappeared. The delicate balance of the Salvatore School's dynamic feel balanced again, order restored after weeks of nightmarish uncertainty. Later that night, on her way to her new room with Wendy, Jade passes Josie's room, hearing voices coming from within. Denying the temptation of using her vampire hearing to listen in, Jade can't hear much. When Alaric exits, Jade acts as if she is just walking by, and with an odd glance in Jade's direction he tiredly walks away. Once he'd rounded the corner, Jade peers into the room, watching the small brunette bury her head in her hands solemnly. She's shaking, and Jade's heart pangs as she watches Josie fracture in front of her eyes. 

When Jade had first met Josie, she was a wayward flame. Now, as the conflagration dies down to embers, the only remnants of the person Josie used to be lies in the ashes at her feet.


	2. #BlackoutTuesday

On May 25, 2020 the nation watched in horror for nearly nine minutes as Officer Derek Chauvin ruthlessly killed George Floyd, a 41 year old black male. Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck with steady, heavy pressure as Floyd begged for his life. After nearly ten minutes, he died of asphyxiation. Some of his last words: "I can't breathe." This sparked a national outrage, leading to protests and riots all across the nation to combat a problem that has been plaguing America for way too long: police brutality. These past few days have been difficult. I have heard recounts from my friends after they were teargassed, beaten, and mocked by the police while peacefully protesting in the streets. They were shot at with rubber bullets. They were threatened to be arrested. Still, they fought on, and they are still fighting, because they know that this is a small portion of the violence that black individuals experience daily. If this disturbs you, it's because it should. What started as a movement to give Floyd and his family justice has evolved into the beginning of a new civil rights movement. This is not a "black" issue; It is a human rights issue. It is a war against racism and oppression in today's America. It is an outcry for justice and change. I will be damned if I keep my silence while my fellow brothers and sisters continued to suffer. This is not up for debate, or discussion; black lives matter, and they deserve to be fought for. I urge all of you to educate yourselves and make your voices heard. Amplify the voices of the unheard, and if you can please donate to organizations that support the BLM movement and that pay legal fees for protestors that have been wrongly arrested. Every amount helps. As for me, I will not be updating for the foreseeable future as I am doing everything I can to protect and inform the people around me, and also myself. I wish you all well and urge you to stay safe during this difficult time. ACAB. Black Lives Matter. No Justice, No Peace. - Katt

Here are some resources that you can donate to: 

Black Lives Matter   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

George Floyd Memorial Fund  
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

The Loveland Foundation:   
https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

Campaign Zero:  
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/

The NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund:  
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.231342234.480782673.1591028794-1029022299.1591028794

Community Bail Funds:  
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd

The ACLU:  
https://action.aclu.org/give/fund-every-fight-ahead

Color of Change:   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blackpatients?ak_proof=1&akid=42394.5191726.pitPAa&amount=5&rd=1&recurring=1&refcode=stage1_nondonors_link1&refcode2=42394_5191726_pitPAa&t=3


	3. I think I owe you all an apology...

Hi, everyone. It's been a while since we talked. I'm very sorry about that. Once the pandemic hit, a lot of things went on the backburner- my writing included. I've been so majorly stressed out with family, Corona, and then the holidays that I haven't had the mental clarity to write anything. 2020 was rough. I moved out of my mother's house, started a whole new life in a new city, and learned a lot of lessons and met a lot of people along the way. Now i'm ready to say goodbye to 2020 and get back to doing what I love- creating stories to entertain all of you. Please bear with me as I sort myself out and get everything together for the near future. Updates will be slow and infrequent- as they've always been- but I promise to put the very best of myself into every chapter, every paragraph, and every line. I'm glad to be back, and I hope you join me in this new and exciting chapter of my life. 

Love Always, Iries.


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